


Pictures

by noalinnea



Category: 24 (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-10-18 22:22:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10626324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noalinnea/pseuds/noalinnea
Summary: Written in 2007...





	

Jack had been so deeply absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn’t heard her come back. Starting at the sound of her footsteps on the stairs, he hastily tried to scoop the pictures in front of him under a magazine, but it was just too late. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and placed a soft kiss on his temple. “Hi” she whispered, and he could hear that she was smiling. Placing one hand on his shoulder and running the other one through his hair, she peered over his shoulder and asked: “What have you been doing?” Jack closed his eyes at her words, dreading the situation that he feared would arise. He didn’t want to see the disappointment cloud her eyes, the anger. Silently he cursed himself for having been that careless. He should have put the pictures away earlier. “Jack?” he heard her ask tentatively, her hand still in his hair. He cleared his throat: “I’ve just...” He couldn’t say it. With shaking hands he proceeded to scoop up the pictures as if he could prevent her from seeing them. With growing panic he watched her place her small hand on top of his, stopping his hasty movements. He held his breath as she let her eyes wander over the countless shots of Teri. He felt her tense, felt how she withdrew her hand from his hair, the tiny “oh” that escaped her lips mercilessly echoing in his head. He didn’t dare to look up at her, didn’t want to see that hurt look cross her face too, as it had once crossed Audrey’s in a similar moment. Pictures of his former girlfriend flashed up before his inner eye. Her cheeks glowing with anger, throwing the tattered box that contained all the happy moments of his past at his feet, demanding that he made a choice. He saw himself frantically picking up his treasure and hiding it, shocked and hurting to the bone. Shocked of her reaction and hurting because he knew that he never would be able to make that choice. Not then, not now. He just couldn’t. In defeat he hung his head. “I’m sorry” he whispered. “I’m so sorry. I should have…” His voice trailed off as his hands once more began to collect the images of his dead wife from the table.

But once more her hand stopped him. This time her grip was firmer. Taking his hands into hers, she halted his movements. Not daring to breathe, he awaited her reaction while her eyes swept over the pictures again. Teri at the beach, Teri with a new born Kim in her arms, his arm wrapped around her shoulder on their wedding day… When she stayed silent, he ventured to speak, feeling the urge to explain, to tell her how much he loved her, to soften the degree to that she would get hurt.

But before he could get the first word over his lips, he was surprised by Chloe sliding into his lap. “I’m sorry”, she said softly, gently lifting up his chin so that he would meet her eyes. To his astonishment, he didn’t see any trace of disappointment there, her expression was free of hurt feelings, but full of sympathy. “I’m so sorry”, she repeated. “I’ve never asked, if you… I should have…” Her voice trailed off and she bit her lip while she searched for the words. Turning back to the pictures strewn across the desk, she finally asked in a low voice: “Which one is your favourite?” He let out a shaky breath, tears starting to cloud his vision while he pointed to a picture to the left of them. He had one arm wrapped around Teri’s shoulders as he pressed a kiss to her temple, Kim as a teenager smiling into the camera. Chloe picked it up, studying it thoroughly. “It’s beautiful”, she said. “You all look so happy.” A small sad smile played around her lips when she looked up to meet his eyes. Frantically, he searched them for a negative feeling, for suppressed anger or hurt, for something she would hide so she wouldn’t hurt him. The realisation of his mistake made his chest constrict in unbelievable gratitude.

He had been so wrong. Chloe’s eyes just shone with the same love as they always did. Unwavering, unyielding, unconditional love. How could he have doubted her for a second? She wasn’t Audrey. Her next words made his eyes spill over with the tears he had had to hold back in years. “Would you like to have it in the living room?”


End file.
